


Something to Look Forward To

by Mischel



Series: Merlin Memory Month [9]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alien Merlin, Alternate Universe - Space, Gen, M/M, astronaut Arthur, it's really weird, spaceship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-06
Updated: 2017-07-06
Packaged: 2018-11-28 18:06:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11423304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mischel/pseuds/Mischel
Summary: Arthur is an astronaut on a station that's been observing a strange anomaly that's been circling them for weeks. Now it's finally time to go explore from close and Arthur's the lucky boy who'll have the chance to finally leave the station. When he's in his spacesuit, getting closer and closer to the anomaly, something surprises him and his team. That thing is no anomaly. It's an alien. And when that alien transforms into a handsome dark-haired boy, well... that's something Arthur certainly hadn't prepared himself for.





	Something to Look Forward To

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the Merlin Memory Month on tumblr and I know I'm really late to post this, but here's the fanfic anyway
> 
> Prompts were:  
> path I - family in blood or mind  
> path II - AU/crossover/fusion  
> Path III - vulnerable
> 
> I think I sort of used all of them, but most of all path II. I don't really read AUs often, but when I decided to write this, I didn't want it to be any AU that all of you probably already know. No soulmates AU or pirates AU or even cowboys AU or probably the most famous high school AU. I wanted something new... and so I turned Merlin into a pudding.
> 
> Yes, I really did that and yes, I might be a slightly bit crazy (being in 20+ fandoms does that to you), but I still hope you'll like it :D
> 
> Enjoy! :D (And sorry for any grammar mistakes, I'm not native speaker.)

After weeks and weeks of observation and endless waiting, it was finally time for Arthur to put on his spacesuit and get out there into the black nothingness. He was excited. As a part of a team, it was a privilege to be the first one to go to outer space and try to communicate with the being they've been observing all this time.

No one knew what or who it was, if it was alive or just some strange anomaly, or if it was dangerous or peaceful. So far, it has been circling around their station, doing nothing and just... watching them, while they were watching it too.

Arthur was the most successful member of the team. Whenever he had a shift, the strange being stopped being boring and started moving around. That was probably the reason they selected him as the first one to go examine it from close.

Arthur took a deep breath and fastened his helmet, giving a thumbs up to Lancelot. The door finally opened, sucking him out until the whole world was spinning for him and he couldn't even see their station. When he touched his stomach though, the rope was still there, his safe ride back home. If the rope broke... he'd be lost.

"Everything's fine so far." Arthur reported. "Oxygen on maximum, no problems detected. Over."

"Fine." Gwen answered. "Try to locate the anomaly. Over."

"On it. Over." Arthur nodded and tried to look around. He couldn't see it. "Station. I can't find it. Over."

"It's right above you, Arthur." Morgana told him. "You'll need to turn around. Over."

"Copy that. Over."

He kicked his legs and moved around his arms awkwardly, until he was finally (but slowly) moving around. But he didn't have to turn around all the way. The being started moving towards him. It was bigger than he thought it would be and it looked like a floating... sort of dusty... jelly? It had a strange transparent blue colour and it immediately stole all of Arthur's attention.

"It's getting too close to you, Arthur. Over." Gwen told him, worried.

"It's okay." Arthur answered, smiling as he was looking at the thing in front of him. "It's alright. It's not dangerous, I can feel it... over."

"Are you sure? Over."

"I'm sure. Over."

"Okay. Try to find out anything useful. Over."

Arthur sighed as the being stopped in front of him, as if trying to decide if he was dangerous. It was constantly changing shapes and it seemed very interested in him. Now Arthur was sure it was alive. It was not an anomaly.

"Hello." He said, hoping the thing could hear him.

For a second it was silent, and then suddenly it formed into a shape of a human. Arthur gasped and before he knew it, the being changed into a young dark-haired boy in blue jeans and a red hoodie and blue eyes. It blinked a few times and then suddenly smiled.

"Hello." It answered. Its voice sounded young and through the helmet it almost made Arthur think the being was whispering, scared to talk to him for the first time. Just like Arthur was, but with every second he was more excited than scared.

Arthur's eyes were wide. "What are you?" He continued.

"I'm lost." It answered and changed back into a huge blue piece of pudding. Then it transformed again and looked just like Arthur in the spacesuit. "I'm here." It added.

"Are you an alien?" Arthur narrowed his eyes, a bit uneasy to be looking into his own eyes.

"I was. I am. I will be." It replied. "I'm not like you. I don't have a face. I can look like this. Or like this." It transformed into Gwen and Arthur frowned.

"Please don't steal my or my friend's faces." He said.

"I don't have a face." It repeated.

"What about the boy you were before." Arthur said. "I liked him, can you transform back?"

"That was not my face." It said and transformed back into the boy with blue eyes. It smiled again. "I like you too." It said, making Arthur blush slightly.

"Thanks." He smiled. "What are you doing here? Why have you been circling our station for weeks? Why don't you just continue where you were headed."

It was silent for a while and then it said, "I saw you." As simple as that. It saw Arthur and decided to stay and give them all something new to observe. Arthur felt strangely touched.

"What's your name?" He continued with his questions. "I'm Arthur."

"I call myself Merlin." It said. "I'm not headed anywhere. Please take me with you. I'm alone." It added and flew closer to Arthur.

"Arthur, be careful. Over." He heard Gwen say. She was the leader of their team and could make him go back any time she wanted, but he was glad she didn't do that yet.

"I am. Over." He replied.

"Your people are worried about you." Merlin told him."They think I want to hurt you."

Arthur pursed his lips, but then nodded. "Yes. They do."

"I don't want to hurt you... Are you going to hurt me?" Merlin asked with a frown on his young face.

Arthur knew the answer. He would never hurt something so unique and beautiful. "I'm not." He said with a smile. "I don't want to hurt you either." Then he pondered for a while and asked something else. "How come you speak our language?"

"I've been watching you." Merlin told him. "Please take me with you. I'm alone here."

"I can't." Arthur told him. "Not yet. We don't know enough about you and-"

Suddenly a little rock hit Arthur's spacesuit and made a hole in it. Arthur's eyes widened and he grabbed his rope.

"Hole in a spacesuit!" He called Gwen and his team. "Get me out of here! Oxygen is escaping into outer space! Over!"

He didn't hear what they replied, but he felt the pull of the rope and he himself tried to move towards the station. And then, suddenly he could see Merlin in front of him. He changed back into the blue jelly and moved towards him, getting into his spacesuit and scaring the shit out of Arthur.

"Arthur!" He could hear Gwen's voice from the comm inside his spacesuit, but instead of hurting him like he promised he wouldn't do, Merlin gently wrapped his body from the inside of the spacesuit and filled the little hole, saving Arthur's life and keeping there enough oxygen for him.

When Arthur finally got inside the station, he was speechless. Once the pressure was stabilized and the room filled with air, Arthur took off his helmet and gasped, not quite believing what he just witnessed. The blue pudding was still wrapped around his body, but as soon as he looked down at it, it started moving away from him, transforming into the boy again.

"Thank you." Arthur told him.

The boy smiled at him and nodded. "Will I talk to you again?" He asked. Suddenly, without the helmet between them, his voice sounded sweet and shy and also curious. It made Arthur smile at him too.

"Hopefully." He told him.

Merlin smiled again and nodded. Then he slowly backed away, walking through the wall as if he was nothing and disappearing into the space again. Arthur was looking at him through the window, already missing his presence and the chance to talk to him. Merlin transformed back into the bluish transparent thing and flew away, just when his team opened the door and got to him, hugging him and asking him if he was alright. But all Arthur could do was nod and keep watching the alien, who was now only a little blue dot among the stars.

That night, Arthur couldn't fall asleep. He left his bed and looked through the window at the stars, noticing that Merlin was still there, circling their station like before. When he noticed him, he stopped though and flew closer to the window. Arthur smiled at him and waved his hand. He wasn't afraid of Merlin disappearing after he walked through the wall. He knew Merlin would stay with them.

Because he saw Arthur and chose to stay. And Arthur would gladly become his friend if it meant they could talk again. Merlin told him he was lost and wasn't heading anywhere. Well, if Gwen allowed it, he could stay with them, couldn't he? And Arthur would be able to find out more about him and tell him more about himself. Because this experience, that excitement he felt when he first heard his voice, that was something he never wanted to lose.

Merlin changed into the dark-haired boy again and waved back, probably not understanding what it meant, but the smile on his face was a good sign. Arthur nodded and went back to bed with a smile of his own.

Maybe he could be looking forward to the next day, for once. Every day on this station was the same and waking up in the morning was something he had to do rather than something he wanted to do because he was excited. This time though, he knew what he'll be doing tomorrow.

And god, how was he looking forward to that.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading and please leave a comment, thanks!!!


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